3: Chapter 3 Devil's Villa 3
The Villa was divided into two floors. After a simple grouping, the Suit-wearing Young Man, the middle-aged man, and the older woman explored the Second Floor, while Luo Yuejian, the Man with Slicked-back Hair, and the Schoolgirl explored the First Floor.
Watching the three go upstairs, the Man with Slicked-back Hair frowned as he looked at the White-haired Girl and the Schoolgirl beside him, feeling reluctant in his heart.
He would have preferred to follow the Suit-wearing Young Man; after all, among the players, he was the only social elite who appeared calm and composed. Following him would clearly lead to a higher survival rate.
However, since the groups were already set, he had no reason to object. He could only let out a long breath and say in a sour tone, "I'll go search the Kitchen."
With that, he left the spot.
The girl still slumped on the floor had a miserable look on her small face. She was currently gritting her teeth, trying to pull out the glass shards; the intense pain in her calf made it difficult for her even to stand.
She looked cautiously at Luo Yuejian by the wall and bit her lip until she left a row of marks. Then, she said in a small voice, "I can't move... Can I search the Living Room?"
Luo Yuejian glanced at her blood-drenched leg and nodded indifferently. It didn't matter where she slacked off.
She went to the innermost Bedroom. Compared to the mess in the Living Room, this Bedroom appeared particularly clean and tidy, looking like a perfectly ordinary Bedroom. She glanced at the calendar on the nightstand; today was Wednesday.
Luo Yuejian circled the room twice, her gaze sweeping over the scattered papers on the desk. The papers were covered in many "ghostly scribbles"—meaningless characters that no one could understand.
Pulling open the desk drawer, she found quite a few toy figurines as well as some stationery.
It seemed the room's owner wasn't very old.
Hidden at the very bottom of the papers was a small knife about half a palm long.
Luo Yuejian lowered her eyes and thought absentmindedly: What kind of person would hide a knife in their bedside drawer?
She picked up the knife, her fingers dancing unconsciously with agility as the knife spun and flipped between her fair, slender fingers. It seemed the owner of the fingers didn't even realize she was playing with it.
Sigh, why am I thinking about this? The more clues I find, the harder it will be for me to lose.
Luo Yuejian quickly stopped her train of thought. With a graceful flip, she unconsciously tucked the knife into her sweatshirt pocket.
She looked around and didn't see anything obvious. To prevent the viewers in the livestream room from discovering she was just idling, Luo Yuejian looked around and wandered about the room.
As she wandered, she walked over to the wardrobe. Opening the doors, she saw clothes for a male; based on the size, the owner was about what she had deduced.
To ensure she successfully lost the game, the fewer clues they held, the better. Determined to waste time here, she absentmindedly rummaged through the clothes in the wardrobe.
With a "clack," a notebook fell out from between the clothes.
No way, even this works? Luo Yuejian rolled her eyes inwardly, speechless. Having no choice, she could only pick up the small notebook to examine it.
It was someone's Diary.
Month X, Day X, Weather: Overcast
I don't have the habit of keeping a Diary, but I feel I must write something down now to record all the eerie things that have been happening at home lately.
I don't know if it's my imagination, but my family seems to be constantly staring at my back. Unless I turn around to face them, they just keep staring!
Month X, Day X, Weather: Sunny
The atmosphere at home has been getting more and more suffocating lately. No one speaks at the dinner table anymore.
Month X, Day X, Weather: Overcast
Why is Brother smiling at me so weirdly?!
Month X, Day X, Weather: Sunny
I was startled awake in the middle of the night by thunder outside. My eyes dizzily opened a crack, only to be horrified to find a dark shadow at the Bedroom door! I was instantly shocked awake, but I didn't dare make a sound. I'm so scared...
Month X, Day X, Weather: Overcast
Lately, I feel a bit groggy all over, and I can't muster the energy for anything.
Month X, Day X, Weather: Overcast
I can't go on like this. Something must be wrong with my family. I have to save them!
(One page is torn out)
Month X, Day X, Weather: Overcast
They have been completely bewitched! I have to escape!
Month X, Day X, Weather: Overcast
Do not leave the Bedroom after midnight!!!
Month X, Day X, Weather: Overcast
There are traps everywhere. I have to find a way...
Month X, Day X, Weather: Sunny
My heart is like the rain outside. I'm going to die here...
After reading the Diary, Luo Yuejian felt a sense of strangeness. She had originally thought this was just an ordinary escape room where she just needed to find the front door key to leave. But looking at the contents of this Diary now, why was the style becoming more and more supernatural?
This won't do; clues are found even by just casually rummaging through clothes. She felt secretly annoyed; finding these clues was just too easy, there was no sense of experience at all!
Closing the Diary, she began an even more perfunctory search. She didn't even bother flipping through the bookshelves or the desk anymore, just wandering aimlessly around the Bedroom.
Meanwhile, in the livestream room:
[This Diary... demon theme, Miracle Company's old trick.]
[Hahaha, old themes are timeless after all.]
[Is it just me? Why do I feel like since finding the Diary, this player has been slacking off perfunctorily?]
[I think although the White-haired Beauty seems absentminded, she has actually analyzed everything within her sight clearly!]
[...I'm just saying, have those bullet comments above gone crazy? Where has this contestant shown such brilliance?]
[I feel like this livestream room is full of face-con fans; they'll simp for anything the beauty does.]
[I plan to stay in this livestream room. I want to see if this beauty is truly exceptionally skilled or if it's all just hype from the viewers.]
...
After wandering for a while, Luo Yuejian thought, that should be enough, right? She had wasted enough time here.
She immediately decided to leave the Bedroom and head to the hall to regroup.
Before leaving the Bedroom, as she passed the Restroom, she caught a glimpse of a Pink Translucent Small Box. It looked a bit like the Medical First-aid Kit her family used to keep.
Thinking of the little girl outside, she hesitated for a moment but still entered the Restroom, picked up the first-aid kit, and left. As she passed the large mirror above the sink, Luo Yuejian took a couple more glances; it indeed still looked the same as before.
Walking out of the Bedroom, only the little girl was in the Living Room now. She had moved from her original spot and was struggling to search the cabinet under the TV while supporting herself.
Seeing Luo Yuejian come out, the girl looked up and asked tentatively, "Big sister, did you find anything?"
Why talk to her all of a sudden! Luo Yuejian's body stiffened. She gave a forced nod, handed the pink box to the girl, and then immediately distanced herself, going to another corner of the Living Room.
The little girl hesitated, then opened the box Luo Yuejian gave her. She was pleasantly surprised to find many first-aid items inside, including medical supplies like alcohol swabs that she urgently needed. She couldn't help but look at Luo Yuejian with gratitude and surprise.
However, Luo Yuejian's back was turned to her at the moment, so she didn't see her expression.
Luo Yuejian thought it might not be good to just stand around doing nothing in the Living Room, so she also started wandering aimlessly around the Living Room for show.
The Living Room had likely already been searched by the girl, so she was just doing useless work. Hehe, this way she wouldn't add any clues, and when the others came down later, they would think she was searching seriously.
She slowly circled the Living Room walls once when she heard low sobbing coming from behind her.
Luo Yuejian turned around and saw the little girl holding the medical kit with one hand while wiping away her unstoppable tears with the other.
Dying inexplicably and then entering this strange game just as inexplicably, only to have her calf cut at the start—the little girl had long been physically and mentally exhausted. She was only forcibly suppressing her collapsing emotions because she was in a strange place.
People are often like this; emotions that could originally be controlled will burst forth like an open sluice gate once shown concern by others, becoming uncontrollable.
Luo Yuejian watched the little girl, who was sobbing so hard she could barely breathe, standing there awkwardly. After a while, she shook her head helplessly, walked to the Living Room table, and pulled a tissue from the box.
The moment the tissue was pulled out, Luo Yuejian's fingers paused.
There was writing on the tissue: 44
...Curse your meddling hands!
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